In the coming days, Shouto helped Izuku with training Iida. They made sure everything was standardized and helped Iida to understand that if there was anything he needed, he could ask them for help. They didn't want him to feel pressured but wanted to offer him the opportunity to climb and assess his abilities. Izuku took the more intensive editing throughout the week, while Iida handled the little things.

He was surprisingly good at it.

The extra time at the end of the week left Izuku feeling a little directionless. He went to the gym more and more as the time went on, and he faintly missed the scent of burnt maple and smoke. It was easy to push to the back of his mind whenever Shouto messaged a cute selfie to show that he was getting ready for bed, and Izuku would cycle home on his jelly legs and snuggle up to his partner. Shouto always turned to greet him and they sank into each other's arms in a calm, all encompassing hold.

It was a week after he last thought about Katsuki when he remembered what he had said. Something about Ochako wanting another shoot. He hadn't completely given up hope on the idea, but nothing had been mentioned, or happened. It doesn't matter, he thought, we got paid already in full, so we don't need the feedback.

It was sufficient to convince himself for now. He had managed to avoid opening and reopening the conversation in Whatsapp to remind himself that it happened. That his friend, rival, and bully had responded and was helpful.

Izuku gave Iida the set of photos to be edited for the day and nodded to him as he closed the door behind him. The sun had begun to set, casting an orange hue into the studio. He closed the laptop and secured it in the office, made a once over of the studio space for anything the girls might have missed during the end of the day, armed the alarm and locked the door. His gym bag was slung over one shoulder as he patted his bike and headed to the gym.

He got to a locker he had been using and noticed it was occupied. He huffed at the space and found another empty locker before changing into his gym clothes from his studio wear. The locker room door swung open, out of sight and for a moment, Izuku thought he could smell maple. Only when he saw a dark haired man walk by did he realise he was disappointed.

"Babe."

Izuku flipped through his edits one last time, the room was dark around him and the screen had started hurting his eyes. He might have done too much tonight and finished way too many of the photos long before their due date. He blinked, his eyes dry.

" Izuku. "

He closed the folder and double checked the dated folders to ensure he had done his share of the work. His mind wandered to the gym, trying to think of other ways to occupy his time beside the studio and gym, gym and studio.

"Midoriya."

Izuku turned abruptly, his eyes coming back into focus and he found Shouto staring exasperatedly at him.

"Sorry." Izuku said.

"Every time?" Shouto asked with a huff and a laugh. Izuku squirmed.

"Give me a sec, I'm coming to bed." He turned the monitor off, pulled off his pants, climbed into bed and draped his body onto Shouto's torso. "Is this better?"

"I have something even better." Shouto said, he brushed Izuku's curls off his forehead and smiled. Izuku blushed.

" Oh ?" Izuku said coyly.

"No, no, you dummy." Shouto said with a chuckle. He wrapped his arms around Izuku's torso and held him tightly to his chest. Izuku pressed his cheek to Shouto's skin and listened to the steady beating of his heart. "We got an email."

Izuku's heartbeat picked up and he was glad Shouto couldn't hear it.

"Who from?" Izuku said.

"Ochako. She loved the photos and they had immediately gone to get Bakugou some interviews with agencies." Shouto said. "So they've been gone this whole time, she apologizes for the delay in her feedback when she knows you had sent them weeks ago."

"Oh, that's what happened, huh?" Izuku said, realising Katsuki had told him the truth about Ochako loving the shots. ' After all, I'm the subject. ' Izuku felt his cheeks tingle and pressed them harder into Shouto's chest.

"That's not the best part." Shouto said as he kissed the crown of Izuku's head. "You get to shoot one more session."

"I thought you hated Kacchan?" Izuku asked. He tilted his head to look up at Shouto now, and he saw his eyebrows come together slightly. He made a hum in his chest that vibrated into Izuku's own.

"I do, but I saw the work you did. The shots." Shouto said with a glance down at Izuku. "They're really gorgeous."

"Yea?" Izuku said with broad smile up at him. Shouto smiled in response and kissed his forehead.

"I don't think you know this, but you're pretty amazing Izuku Midoriya." Shouto said. "And I have to say your whole name to make sure you heard me."

"Oh, shut up." Izuku said with a pinch at his sides. Shouto hummed again and tucked his face into Izuku's hair. With the steady beat of his heart, Izuku fell asleep.

Izuku woke up the next morning to an empty bed. Shouto left a little note and a cup of coffee in a warmer on his desk. While his muscles warmed up and the grogginess of sleep clung to his eyelids, he climbed into his chair and checked his email. And sure enough, Ochako had emailed him.

Izuku tried not to feel the excitement build inside of him and warned himself that it was just a shoot. He remembered Shouto's pride and compliments from the night before and he smiled to himself. He read the email carefully three times until his vision cleared completely and the coffee sat pleasantly in his mouth.

He got ready for the day and cycled to work, when his mind wandered from the upcoming shoot, he let it. Because it didn't mean anything other than work. He had proposed two dates, Saturday and Sunday to get them done as quickly as possible and to avoid clashing with the studio appointments that already existed.

Plus it would give them the whole day again, free to move as quickly, or as slowly and with the flow as they wanted. By midday, as Izuku was transferring files to their harddrives, Ochako emailed a confirmation for Saturday and Izuku felt his cheeks warm. He marked the calendar.

The rest of the week passed by passively, and everytime Izuku found himself at the gym, his ears strained for the sound of Katsuki's loudmouth, but the sound never came. He almost doubled his sets in his frustration with himself, waiting for Katsuki, expecting him to just be there.

It wasn't like Izuku wanted to see him, or didn't know when he would see him next. It wasn't like Izuku didn't love Shouto, and magically wanted Katsuki. The man was just magnetic, and every time he looked down the lens at Izuku, he felt like he could do it, he felt like he could be one of the greats. Even when he wasn't looking down the lens, even that little conversation they shared over Whatsapp made him feel like he could take over the world.

That didn't matter in the long run though, because Izuku didn't have Katsuki at his disposal as his personal cheering squad. Personal muse. And Shouto provided everything Izuku had right now, he was the reason Izuku had a studio and was given the opportunity to perform so well in a world oversaturated with artistic photographers and random photography studios trying to make a name for themselves.

It didn't matter, so Izuku had to forget Katsuki could do that. He had to remember Katsuki as the childhood friend, the bully, and now an acquaintance. That's all he was.

Shouto was in bed, a small laptop lit his face and fingertips when Izuku walked in after his day. Izuku emptied his gym bag and contemplated a second shower before bed, he glanced at Shouto wondering if to invite him.

"Hey, babe." Izuku said with a tired smile. He thought he would rather not shower again and instead, pulled off his pants and t-shirt then climbed into bed. He snuggled into Shouto's shoulder and groaned, the sound vibrating his chest. Shouto pressed his lips to his forehead.

"Had a good work out?" Shouto murmured, his fingers typing quickly. There was a tap and the email was sent. Shouto opened the calendar and scrolled through it. Izuku groaned in response and rubbed his cheek on Shouto's shoulder, looking at the calendar.

Kacchan : Saturday, 7:30 am.

"What's this?" Shouto said, looking down at Izuku.

"That's the date Ochako picked for the shoot you told me about." Izuku said. He kissed Shouto's shoulder and his eyes closed sleepily.

"I wish you had told me, I have a family thing all day that day, I won't be able to come see you in action." Shouto said.

Izuku knew that.

"Aw, I'm sorry." he said, muttering it against Shouto's skin. "I think you mean you don't get to come see if he's still a bully."

Shouto grunted half heartedly.

"He's not a bully." Izuku said, it was barely audible. He felt his eyelids drag down.

"I know, it's fine." Shouto said gently. Izuku felt his hands guide him down safely to a pillow and the covers came up to his chin. He only woke once more when Shouto snuggled beside him and wrapped his arms around him.

Friday night, Izuku cleared the studio space and placed white as the background. He went to the gym and was disappointed by the lack of Katsuki then returned to his studio. He fidgeted with everything, double checked that the batteries were charged and charging for the third time, made sure there were memory cards waiting to be filled and that the bathroom was clean. Just in case.

He woke at 6 am, unable to sleep longer. Izuku wondered how nervous he had been the first time and if it affected him like this at all. He didn't like it, he wanted to care less. He convinced himself that he often got nervous on days where the shoot was expected to be big, long, or expensive. It was okay. It's just another shoot.

He got to the studio at 6:30 and he peered through the door in frustration. He couldn't keep checking the studio, he had already done it enough times. He ignored everything he had carefully placed to get ready for the day from last night as he walked through the studio and got a spare set of gym clothes from a cupboard in the main office.

Izuku ran on the treadmill for half an hour at the gym before he allowed himself some breakfast and coffee as he sat, waiting for 7:30 and trying to clear his mind. He had swallowed his last piece of egg sandwich and washed it back with his coffee when he heard the door sound and the light blink red to indicate someone had opened it.

He looked up, convinced he had pushed aside his excitement for seeing him again, and his stomach dropped. It was Ochako and she was teetering over with garment bags. Izuku hurried to his feet and took the garment bags from her, barely able to see over them himself.

"Hey Ochako!" Izuku said when he finally was able to place the bags on the back of a chair. Ochako immediately started hanging them on an empty rack that usually stood beside the small changing room in studio.

"Hey Izuku. You're all prepped!" Ochako said, beaming around the room and eyeing his set up.

"I didn't know you were joining us today, I'd have bought you both breakfast." Izuku said.

"It's alright, I didn't mention I was coming, I think." Ochako said, reaching her hand out to Izuku's. He took it and gave it a gentle squeeze, her happiness felt like Izuku was looking in a mirror. This was probably what people thought he was like all the time. "And don't worry about breakfast, Katsuki is bringing in some in a bit from the corner coffee place."

"That's good!" Izuku glanced at the garment bags. "Are we shooting all of those today?"

"No, they're just options because I couldn't decide!" she said brightly. "Plus he won't let me put him in all of it, but maybe with you and I both, we can strong arm him into cooperation."

"I don't think anyone could strong arm Kacchan into anything." Izuku said with a chuckle. Ochako laughed.

"You did a really good job at reining him in, if you ask me." she said. Izuku fought the blush that he felt creeping up his neck and his hand flew to the back of his head and he laughed.

"He's a good subject." Izuku said.

"Speaking of the subject." Ochako said and her voice softened to a kind of purr. Izuku followed her eyes and Katsuki was walking alongside the building to the door, his hand with three coffees in a cup holder and bags in the other.

Ochako held the doors open for him and Izuku waited for her to snuggle up to him and they were out of the way before he locked the doors and ensured the sign said ' closed '. He returned to the party of two and kept his eyes firmly on Ochako who was happily stabbing at a salad whose smell crinkled Izuku's nose.

He was not going to look at Katsuki if he could help it.

The moment that thought crossed his mind, he shook his head and laughed at himself. He had to shoot him today, what difference would it make if he looked at him. Izuku looked up and met Katsuki's eyes, Katsuki's eyes that were studying him intently when Izuku hadn't even noticed.

Izuku plastered a smile on, his defensive one whenever someone made him feel uncomfortable.

"Hey Kacchan." he managed to say, fighting the stutter he could feel at the back of his throat.

"You're a little nutter, huh?" Katsuki asked him, his eyes narrowed. Izuku blushed. "You talk to yourself in your head in that relentless muttering too, don't you?"

"I-" Izuku started, the blushed on his cheeks extending all the way to his ears.

"Whatever nerd, this is for you." Katsuki said, sticking out a cup to Izuku. "You like French Vanilla, right?"

"Thanks?" Izuku said, accepting it. His face felt warmer than the cup in his hands.

"It's okay that we eat here, right?" Katsuki asked him, his own brown bag with food lay untouched. Ochako made noises of approval at her salad and it pulled Izuku's attention for a moment, his eyes flickered to her and then back to Katsuki. The ruby eyes had never left his.

"Yea it's okay. I know you guys, plus we're starting early, so it only makes sense." Izuku said. He didn't break the seal of his coffee lid yet. Katsuki's eyes flickered to the cup and then back to Izuku's eyes.

"I wouldn't have just assumed, it's just you let me eat here," Katsuki said, finally turning to a chair and straddling it backward before he fidgeted with the bag of food. It was a sandwich Izuku came to realise as he unwrapped it. "Last time, I mean. When we had our shoot."

Izuku made a noise in the back of his throat. He looked around the studio, the still air mostly undisturbed, the AC unit pumped cool air at them as the sun fought it where it poured through the glass windows. He usually did let customers eat in studio, it wasn't a big deal. But he liked that Katsuki felt something about it, so he left it like that, there was no harm.

When they had settled, it was 7:45 am and Izuku felt less impatient than he had felt when he came to the studio at 6:30 and was waiting by himself with nothing to occupy his mind and time. Their company was enough and he didn't feel like he was spiraling in his own head about the day's events. Eventually, he was relieved Ochako was there, so he didn't have to spend more time alone with Katsuki and trying to put him back into a box so that he remained defined as one thing.

Keeping him in the box would be much easier to accomplish now.

That's what he repeated as Ochako repeatedly stripped Katsuki and placed him into varying outfits. It's the mantra he said in his mind whenever Ochako asked for his opinion and he had to look at Katsuki's sometimes half naked body. Ochako also did his makeup, and before she could ask Izuku for help in applying some of it, Katsuki would make an angry grunt and glare at Izuku, daring him to.

Izuku didn't.

And maybe it was easier, keeping Katsuki in a box. But the time ticked by so much fast now with a third brain in the mix of the creative process. Izuku simultaneously didn't mind and minded a whole lot. She was getting in the way. It took an hour and a half before Katsuki was finally in the perfect outfit, according to Ochako, and Izuku could begin shooting. They ended with a squared, stiff t-shirt and a fitted pant, one earring hung long on Katsuku's left ear, and a stud in his right. His feet donned loafers.

They started their rhythm, and Izuku felt his body relax into it. Click, move, click, move, click, move.

"Babe, do it more like this ." Izuku heard Ochako say from by the laptop behind Izuku to his left. The laptop that displayed the reel as Izuku shot. Izuku stiffened and so did Katsuki. He glanced at Izuku, a flicker of annoyance on his face before he softened and grunted in acknowledgment to what Ochako had said.

And it continued like that, even into the next three outfit changes. Lunch had come and gone, and finally, Ochako was only making sounds of approval, except it was every time Katsuki did something that pleased Izuku too. But in those moments, when Izuku and Katsuki would move on, shooting in fluidity, they were now interrupted by Ochako's excitement.

Izuku almost didn't think it was worth it, to keep Katsuki in a box, if this was what he had to do to keep him there.

He hid his annoyance better than Katsuki did.

"I think we got it!" Ochako said excitedly. Cars passed by outside, their headlights and tail lights dampened through the glass by the thickness of the blinds. Izuku missed the golden hour and shooting Katsuki in it. He actively had to stop his mind from drifting back to their previous shoot. He let out a sigh as he rolled his shoulders, the muscles having tensed from overuse. He couldn't even feel his legs.

"You have to let us buy you dinner before you go, Izuku." Ochako said as she gathered her things near her purse. She then turned and started throwing clothes haphazardly into the garment bags. Katsuki was stripping and simultaneously grabbing a towel before he took to the shower at the end of the corridor. Izuku was glad he had given it a once over.

"I guess, yeah, sure." he said nervously.

"You did a wonderful job today. And isn't he amazing?" Ochako said. Izuku's voice felt hoarse from disuse. He cleared his throat.

"Yea, Kacchan's amazing." Izuku said with a tired smile. It was 7 pm. He robotically started rolling up blinds, transferring cards to carriers, putting away lenses and cameras, and returning things to their place holders, something he forced himself to do because he was always annoyed when he would come in the following work day and had to spend half an hour tidying up.

"Katsuki said you like pork cutlets?" Ochako said, her voice sounded softer and Izuku assumed she was finally talked out. He remembers what I like?

"Yeah, I love pork cutlets." Izuku said.

"I've ordered some and it should be here in 5 minutes. I know you boys are tired, so going out and being social in a restaurant is a terrible idea." Ochako said, her nails clicking on her phone screen.

"Thanks, Ochako." Izuku said, he let out a sigh of relief. He was dreading a restaurant with how tired he felt.

"Can we drive you home, Izuku? You look exhausted." she asked.

"No, it's alright. I have my bike." Izuku said. Though a drop home didn't sound half bad as his legs gave a wobble. He shouldn't have run on the treadmill first thing this morning.

"We have a bike rack." Ochako said. Izuku could feel her helpfulness rush out to him and he felt guilty. He didn't know for what. "Katsuki like's hiking and mountain biking, so we have a rack on the car."

"Oh."

"Hey, let the man rest." Katsuki murmured as he walked to them, a towel in his hair flicking water at them when he approached.

"Of course, sorry." Ochako said and she smiled up at Katsuki. Izuku felt a pull behind his navel as Katsuki bent forward and pecked her on the lips. "We're dropping him home, okay?"

Katsuki grunted, and Izuku waited for his eyes to flick to him, but they never did. The food arrived and Izuku sleepily chewed the food and swallowed. He made appropriate noises when Ochako would say something but he could never quite commit the conversation to memory.

"Deku and I work better with no one around," Izuku heard the words float to him and his eyes focused on Katsuki. His hand was tucking a strand of hair behind Ochako's ear and he was smiling at her. "You gotta let me be sometimes, babe. You won't be allowed in the shoots when I get that contract."

"I know, I just wanted it to be perfect." Ochako said.

"Deku knows what he's doing. Last shoot was perfect. You said so yourself." Katsuki said, a small smirk on his lips. Izuku felt like he was imagining this. He was sitting right here, he could hear Katsuki saying the words, but they made no sense. He drank his bubbly drink and allowed his mind to sweep him into overthinking.

Izuku was too tired to try catching Katsuki's eyes in the rearview mirror. He didn't even know what game he was playing by himself. He released his bike, vaguely remembered saying goodnight and thank you before he locked his bike outside and trudged his way into the apartment.

And only when he was alone again with his thoughts, Shouto asleep soundly in bed, did his brain wake fully up, repeating Katsuki's words over and over in his head. Work better with no one around? Deku knows what he's doing. Izuku felt his ego boost again and like he could do this. He was doing this, and he didn't feel like a fraud. His hands had opened Whatsapp before he knew what he was doing.

He looked dimly down at the screen and his eyes refocused. It was 1 am. How long had he been there and his mind wouldn't shut up?

'Thanks for saying all those nice things about me."
-Izuku

Send. Clock, one tick, two ticks.

Kacchan
'last seen today at 21:34'

"He's not going to be up, you idiot." Izuku said out loud to himself. Izuku glanced at Shouto's peaceful face, his breath coming in soft puffs and his hands curled close to his face.

'I'm sorry, what nice things?'
-Kacchan

Izuku's heart leapt to his throat. Shit, he's up.

'Telling Ochako that I knew what I was doing.'
-Izuku

'You do, don't you?'
-Kacchan
'You're a photographer, aren't you?'
-Kacchan

Izuku blushed.

'Oh, you weren't compliment' Izuku backspaced. He frowned at his phone. He wasn't complimenting him, he was just telling Ochako to trust who they hired. That made sense. His heart skipped when he saw ' typing…' .

'Stop fucking doubting yourself, idiot. You got this far."
-Kacchan

'I feel like a fraud a lot, so it was nice to hear you say something nice.'
-Izuku

'You're a fucking rising star, aren't you? Don't people tell you you're good?'
-Kacchan

Izuku frowned. Katsuki was right. People do tell him he's good. But people weren't Katsuki Bakugou. He couldn't say that, so his fingers hovered over the keyboard, his eyes out of focus playing out a conversation in his head that would never happen.

'Yea they do, thanks.'
-Izuku

It felt lame. It was a lame message. Izuku was tired, and the disappointment of a compliment he thought he heard but wasn't really had pulled the air right out of his lungs and he was tired. Exhausted.

'I don't matter, okay nerd? Nobody else matters.'
-Kacchan

Izuku read it over and over. He had to be hallucinating a pep talk from Katsuki. There was no way this was real. He didn't even need a pep talk, he was fine. It was only concerning something with Katsuki's face in it that he was concerned about if his work was good enough.

'Nerd.'
-Kacchan

'Kacchan."
-Izuku

'Get some sleep. You have photos to edit.'
-Kacchan

'Okay.'
-Izuku

'I mean it. Sleep. You were a zombie tonight. I'm surprised you're up.'
-Kacchan

'Okay'
-Izuku

'Stop fucking saying okay.'
-Kacchan

'Sorry. Thanks for the pep talk, Kacchan. Night night.'
-Izuku

And he fell asleep, forgetting the next morning that he had ever pressed 'send' the first time.